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The Education of Gifted and Talented Children

CONTENTS

MEMBERSHIP OF THE COMMITTEE (Word format) (PDF format)

TERMS OF REFERENCE (Word format) (PDF)

ABBREVIATIONS (Word format) (PDF format)

FOREWORD (Word format) (PDF format)

SUMMARY AND RECOMMENDATIONS (Word format) (PDF format)

CHAPTER 1 (Word format) (PDF format)

    OVERVIEW
    Conduct of the inquiry
    Overview of submissions
    A note on terminology
    Conclusions of the overview

CHAPTER 2 (Word format) (PDF format)

    Defining the problem
    Characteristics of gifted children
    Do these children have needs warranting special intervention?
    Neglect causes behavioural problems
    Duty to help all children realise their potential
    They will succeed anyway?
    Emphasis on minimum standards discourages high achievement?
    Adult achievement of gifted children

    Problems of defining ‘gifted’
    Concepts of giftedness
    Are all children gifted?
    Official definitions: defining the scope of interest
    Which fields of endeavour are a focus for intervention?
    What proportion of children are gifted?

    Reasons for problems in gifted education
    Anti-elitism
    Misconceptions about giftedness

    Conclusions

CHAPTER 3 (Word format) (PDF format)

    Better schooling for gifted children
    Identifying gifted children
    Nomination by teachers
    Nomination by parents

    Tests
    Identifying giftedness in disadvantaged groups
    Early identification
    Conclusions on identifying gifted children

    Interventions - general points

    Differentiating the curriculum
    Need for a qualitatively different curriculum
    Enrichment and extension
    Inadequacies of enrichment for the gifted
    Enrichment for all is not differentiating the curriculum for the gifted
    Difficulties of differentiating the curriculum
    Difficulties of curriculum support
    Best practice can help all students

    Acceleration

    Ability grouping
    Ability grouping: social aspects
    Conclusions on ability grouping and selective schools

    Other issues
    Unstable character of gifted education programs
    Effects of devolution of responsibility to schools
    Issues to do with disadvantaged groups
    Rural and regional disadvantage
    The role of universities in gifted education
    Cost of gifted education programs

    Conclusions

CHAPTER 4: TRAINING TEACHERS TO HANDLE GIFTED CHILDREN (Word format) (PDF format)

        Preservice teacher training
        The status quo
        The problem
        Suggestions
        Obstacles

    Postgraduate training

    Inservice professional development
    Problems to do with professional development

    Responsibilities
    Preservice training
    Postgraduate training
    Inservice professional development

CHAPTER 5 (Word format) (PDF format)

    The role of the commonwealth

    National strategy

    National research centre

    Funding support
    Targeted programs
    Curriculum materials
    Teacher training

APPENDIX 1 (Word format) (PDF format)

    LIST OF SUBMISSIONS

APPENDIX 2 (Word format) (PDF format)

    HEARINGS AND WITNESSES

APPENDIX 3 (Word format) (PDF format)

    DOCUMENTS TABLED AT HEARINGS

APPENDIX 4 (Word format) (PDF format)

    FURTHER INFORMATION

APPENDIX 5 (Word format) (PDF format)

    RECOMMENDATIONS OF 1988 REPORT

    GOVERNMENT RESPONSE TO 1988 REPORT

APPENDIX 6 (Word format) (PDF format)

    SUMMARY OF STATE GIFTED EDUCATION PROVISIONS

     

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